The process of oral health promotion programme in preschool children.

Abstract

This research aimed to study the output, factor of success and problems of oral health promotion program in preschool children. The main study was qualitative research. In-depth interview in 4 provinces with F-supplement was done in 48 officers responsible for the program and in 8 provinces, quantitatively, 4 provinces with F-supplement and 4 without. Samples were 510 pregnant women and mothers of children 1 year old and 499 mothers of children 1 1/2 - 2 years old, 21 child-care-takers, 25 teachers , and 659 preschool children. The results were that, oral health education covered pregnancy women 57.3% and less than half of them, with oral problems, visited the dental personnel. Mothers were informed of oral health care 66.7 % but only 24.8 % brushed their child teeth every day at least two times. Most of children were prolong bottle feeding. The weakness of implementation in 0-2 years old children was the personnel preferred treatment rather than prevention, oral health education was one way and not continuous. In 3-5 years old children program, most of the child caretakers were trained to work. However there were some problems about their knowledge, and experience, which affected their concept and confidence in oral examination and advising the parents. The good point in kindergarten was that the teacher provided oral health kits but they did not concern much about the program, lack of good management, too much of work, many of them had not been trained. The program needed more quality monitoring in every level.